Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 94 The Village Gentleman of Nancun Bullies My Weak Horse

This slash was like a green dragon crescent, and that spear thrust was like a dragon.

On the battlefield, Guan Yu and Sun Ce fought fiercely for two hundred rounds, each determined to take the other's life with every move, a sight that dazzled the onlookers.

"Zhongkang, what do you think of this battle?"

Yuan Shu stood atop the six-horse chariot, seemingly observing the battle between Guan Yu and Sun Quan with a detached and calm demeanor, but in reality, he could only watch the spectacle. He admired the two men's prowess but failed to grasp the intricacies of the situation.

Xu Chu, however, had been itching to watch for a while, and when he heard Yuan Shu ask a question, he quickly explained it to him.

"My lord need not worry about Young Master Bofu. Although he may be slightly inferior to Guan Yu in terms of martial arts, the outcome of the battle is still uncertain."

This is because Guan Yu wore a rather heavy set of armor today in preparation for dealing with General Ji Ling, but Guan Yu's strength was not hindered.

However, prolonged intense battles inevitably affect the speed of attacks and the ability to sustain combat power.

According to Chu, after a hundred rounds, he had become familiar with Bo Fu Gongzi's style and had several attempts to kill him.

Unfortunately, the armor slowed them down by a fraction of a second, allowing Young Master Bofu to narrowly evade them thanks to his fast horse.

Although Prince Bofu had the advantage of agility and speed, Guan Yu's armor meant that as long as his vital points were protected, he could not be harmed.

It seems unlikely that a decisive victory will be achieved between the two in the short term, and as long as the conflict drags on, the advantage will lie with Young Master Bofu.

Hearing this, Yuan Shu naturally interpreted it simply based on his past experience:
Guan Yu changed his equipment before the start of the match. He equipped a set specifically designed to counter Ji Ling, which increased his tankiness by 100%, reduced his speed by 20%, and reduced his durability by 30%.

Given Ji Ling's strength, these wouldn't have been a problem at all. Without the interference of hidden weapons, Guan Yu would have killed Ji Ling in at most thirty rounds.

But to everyone's surprise, the visitor was not Ji Ling, but Yuan's grandson!

Against an opponent of similar strength like Sun Ce, a mistake in equipment can be enough to determine the outcome of a battle.

By the time they had fought three hundred rounds, Sun Ce was still drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through. How much more so for Guan Yu, who was suffocating inside his heavy armor?
However, this armor was extremely cumbersome to put on and difficult to remove easily. In the heat of battle, how could Sun Ce allow him to remove the armor so easily?

This is Guan Yu; even burdened by his heavy armor, he still mustered his remaining strength.

Relying on his understanding of Sun Ce's spear techniques after three hundred rounds, and with his seasoned combat experience, he continued to unleash his Azure Dragon Blade attacks, still managing to suppress Sun Ce relentlessly.

One cannot be too strong for long. Guan Yu knew that even with his extraordinary strength and wearing heavy armor, he could still fight for three hundred rounds without showing any signs of weakness.

Four hundred rounds? Five hundred rounds?

If the attack continues without success, defeat is inevitable.

Now that things have come to this, only one decisive blow can decide the fate of the world!
Having made up his mind, Guan Yu fought a few more rounds, then gradually feigned exhaustion and showed signs of defeat. He then dragged himself to the back and spurred his horse to flee.

It's a classic case of using the "dragging knife" tactic!
Sun Ce, like Xu Chu, clearly judged that Guan Yu was heavily armored and could not fight for long. He was currently exhausted and fleeing, so why would he suspect anything? He spurred his horse and gave chase, determined to take Guan Yu's head.

Not only did he think so, but Liu Bei, who was in the enemy camp, was also greatly alarmed when he saw Guan Yu fleeing in defeat, and hurriedly ordered Zhang Fei to go to his rescue.

However, Zhang Fei had only spurred his horse halfway when he saw Guan Yu suddenly open his phoenix eyes, swing his sword and turn around. With the momentum of dragging the sword and the power he had been holding back for a long time, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade came crashing down, splitting mountains and cleaving peaks with a single strike.

Caught off guard, Sun Ce had no choice but to desperately raise his spear to block.

Guan Yu unleashed a powerful and heavy strike, slaying countless heroes and warriors. Soon, Sun Ce and his ilk would join the ranks of those who perished beneath his blade. In this critical moment, Guan Yu was determined to kill, while Sun Ce was determined to block. These two formidable generals of their time engaged in a desperate struggle.

The devastating force rebounded from the swords and spears onto the two men, eventually reaching their warhorses.

Sun Ce's mount, Yu Li, was a fine steed given to him by Yuan Shu. Even after fighting for three hundred rounds, it remained spirited and stood firmly on all four hooves.

However, Guan Yu's yellow horse had been injured by Ji Ling's hidden weapon some time ago and could no longer fight. The horse he was riding at this time was just an ordinary fine steed that he had recently found.

It would be a fine horse under normal circumstances, but in the face of such a peerless warrior, it paled in comparison.

Moreover, this warhorse is also covered in thick armor. Guan Yu, you have amazing strength and can fight for three hundred rounds without showing any signs of weakness even when wearing heavy armor. Can your warhorse do the same?
The warhorse, already overburdened, was suddenly struck by the force of a desperate attack from this peerless warrior. It felt the rider squeeze the horse's belly with his legs and exert force, and then an overwhelming force poured down on it.

The poor warhorse could no longer bear the strain; its legs buckled, and it stumbled.

How could Guan Yu, who was currently locked in a power struggle with Sun Ce, exert his strength in such a dramatic turn of events?
The strike that Guan Yu was determined to deliver was deflected by Sun Ce, causing Guan Yu to fall off his horse and barely manage to regain his footing.

Sun Ce, who was already drenched in sweat, felt a chill run down his spine.

Just now, Guan Yu dragged his sword and slashed, a fatal blow that even he himself felt he couldn't withstand, as if the gates of hell were right in front of him.

Having narrowly escaped death, and still shaken, he saw Guan Yu's warhorse collapse to the ground, foaming at the mouth and unable to fight any longer.

Seeing Guan Yu standing helplessly on the ground, how could he not be overjoyed? He spurred his horse, brandished his spear, and charged forward, intending to take advantage of Guan Yu's lack of a horse.

Sun Ce relied on his horsemanship, while Guan Yu fought on foot on flat ground. With the balance of power shifting, how could Guan Yu possibly withstand him?

Just as the situation was turning around, and Sun Ce was putting Guan Yu in dire straits several times, a loud shout rang out, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, deafening and resounding.

"Zhang Yide of Yan is here!"

"You pretty boy, don't you dare hurt my second brother!"

Zhang Fei was already halfway to rescue Guan Yu when he was shocked by this turn of events. How could he not be extremely anxious?
He hurriedly spurred his horse forward and, just before Sun Ce could kill Guan Yu, took the spear and engaged Sun Ce in battle.

Sun Ce was furious when Guan Yu's head, which was within his grasp, was blocked by this black-clad fellow who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

With his remaining strength, he was about to challenge Zhang Fei, but unexpectedly, this dark-skinned fellow was quite formidable, his skills were no less than his own.

Normally it would be fine, but after fighting for more than three hundred rounds, he was exhausted and powerless. How could he possibly match Zhang Fei's full strength and energy?

Seeing that things were going badly and knowing he couldn't hold on much longer, Sun Ce heard a similar urgent shout in his ear.

"Young Master Bofu, please rest a while. Let me, Xu Zhongkang, fight this scoundrel!"

Sun Ce breathed a sigh of relief and, with Xu Chu's help, gave up his position.

When he spurred his horse back to Yuan's camp, he was immediately greeted with cheers. The morale of the army, which had been low due to the execution of Lei Bu and Chen Lan, immediately rebounded to its peak.

Even without Ji Ling's intervention, Young Master Bo Fu alone would be enough to defeat Guan Yu.

If Yuan Shao were to send out his top general Ji Ling, who in Liu Bei's army could possibly stand against him?

(End of this chapter)